Oxide semiconductor field effect transistor

ABSTRACT

An oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (OSFET) includes a first insulating layer, a source, a drain, a U-shaped channel layer and a metal gate. The first insulating layer is disposed on a substrate. The source and the drain are disposed in the first insulating layer. The U-shaped channel layer is sandwiched by the source and the drain. The metal gate is disposed on the U-shaped channel layer, wherein the U-shaped channel layer includes at least an oxide semiconductor layer. The present invention also provides a method for forming said oxide semiconductor field effect transistor.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of and claims the benefitof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/154,644, filed Oct. 8, 2018.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to an oxide semiconductor fieldeffect transistor and forming method thereof, and more specifically toan oxide semiconductor field effect transistor having a U-shaped channellayer and forming method thereof.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Amorphous silicon and polysilicon are often used for forming transistorsin integrated circuits (ICs) and liquid-crystal display devices, whereinamorphous silicon and polysilicon are located on a substrate having aninsulating surface or a glass substrate. Transistors utilizing amorphoussilicon are easier to be formed on a large glass substrate, but theyalso have disadvantages such as low mobility. Although transistorsutilizing polysilicon can have high mobility, they cannot be formed inlarge glass substrates.

Transistors using oxide semiconductor have been attracting attention andare applied in electronic or optical devices. For instance, oxidesemiconductor layers containing indium (In), zinc (Zn), gallium (Ga) ortin (Sn) etc are used to manufacture transistors or pixel switchers indisplay devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an oxide semiconductor field effecttransistor and forming method thereof, which only forms a U-shapedchannel layer between a source and a drain, thereby simplifyingprocesses, improving the reliability of a back gate and enhancing thesensitivity of tuning the channel layer and the threshold voltage.

The present invention provides an oxide semiconductor field effecttransistor including a first insulating layer, a source, a drain, aU-shaped channel layer and a metal gate. The first insulating layer isdisposed on a substrate. The source and the drain are disposed in thefirst insulating layer. The U-shaped channel layer is sandwiched by thesource and the drain. The metal gate is disposed on the U-shaped channellayer, wherein the U-shaped channel layer includes at least an oxidesemiconductor layer.

The present invention provides a method of forming an oxidesemiconductor field effect transistor including the following steps. Aback gate is formed in an insulating layer. A back gate insulating layeris formed on the insulating layer. A source/drain layer is formed on theback gate insulating layer. A first insulating layer covers thesource/drain layer and the back gate insulating layer. The firstinsulating layer and the source/drain layer are patterned, therebyforming a source and a drain, and a recess being located in the firstinsulating layer, wherein the recess separates the source from thedrain, but exposes the back gate insulating layer. A U-shaped channellayer and a metal gate are formed in the recess, wherein the U-shapedchannel layer includes at least an oxide semiconductor layer.

According to the above, the present invention provides an oxidesemiconductor field effect transistor and forming method thereof, whichonly forms a source and a drain on a back gate insulating layer, aU-shaped channel layer including at least an oxide semiconductor layersandwiched by the source and the drain, and a metal gate on the U-shapedchannel layer. There is no other channel layer in the oxidesemiconductor field effect transistor, thereby simplifying structuresand restraining the U-shaped channel layer being the only one carriersource, and thus improving the reliability of the back gate, and tuningthe channel layer and the threshold voltage sensitively through the backgate.

These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt becomeobvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading thefollowing detailed description of the preferred embodiment that isillustrated in the various figures and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of a method offorming an oxide semiconductor field effect transistor according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of a method offorming an oxide semiconductor field effect transistor according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view and a top view of amethod of forming an oxide semiconductor field effect transistoraccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of a method offorming an oxide semiconductor field effect transistor according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of a method offorming an oxide semiconductor field effect transistor according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of a method offorming an oxide semiconductor field effect transistor according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of a method offorming an oxide semiconductor field effect transistor according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of a method offorming an oxide semiconductor field effect transistor according toanother embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of a method offorming an oxide semiconductor field effect transistor according toanother embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of a method offorming an oxide semiconductor field effect transistor according toanother embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-2, 4-7 schematically depict cross-sectional views of a method offorming an oxide semiconductor field effect transistor according to anembodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 schematically depicts across-sectional view and a top view of a method of forming an oxidesemiconductor field effect transistor according to an embodiment of thepresent invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a substrate 110 is provided. Thesubstrate 110 may be a semiconductor substrate such as a siliconsubstrate, a silicon containing substrate, a III-V group-on-silicon(such as GaN-on-silicon) substrate, a graphene-on-silicon substrate, asilicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate or a substrate containing epitaxiallayers. An insulating layer 120 is formed on the substrate 110. Theinsulating layer 120 may be an interlayer dielectric layer, which may bean oxide layer, but it is not limited thereto.

Aback gate 122 is formed in the insulating layer 120. The back gate 122may include a barrier layer (not shown), a seeding layer (not shown) anda conductive material (not shown). Methods of forming the back gate 122may include the following. A recess (not shown) is formed in theinsulating layer 120, a barrier layer (not shown) and a seeding layer(not shown) conformally cover the recess, a conductive material (notshown) fills up the recess, and then the conductive material, theseeding layer and the barrier layer exceeding from the recess areremoved (or planarized) until the insulating layer 120 being exposed,thereby the back gate 122 being formed. The barrier layer may includetantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti), tantalum nitride (TaN), titanium nitride(TiN), tungsten nitride (WN) or the combinations of these materials. Thematerial of the seeding layer is preferably common to the material ofthe conductive material, which may be aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti),tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), niobium (Nb)or etc. Furthermore, the back gate 122 may directly contact a back gatevia 124 for connecting to other components, wherein the back gate 122and the back gate via 124 may be formed by dual damascene processes, butit is not limited thereto. A back gate insulating layer 130 may beformed on the insulating layer 120. The back gate insulating layer 130may be an oxide layer, but it is not limited thereto.

As shown in FIG. 2, a source/drain layer 140 a may be formed on the backgate insulating layer 130. The material of the source/drain layer 140 amay be metals such as aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu),tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti), tungsten (W) or alloys of these metals. Asshown in FIG. 3, the source/drain layer 140 a is patterned to have apattern of an oxide semiconductor field effect transistor, thereby asource/drain layer 140 b being formed, wherein FIG. 3(a) schematicallydepicts a cross-sectional view of a method of forming an oxidesemiconductor field effect transistor according to an embodiment of thepresent invention, and FIG. 3(b) schematically depicts a top view of amethod of forming an oxide semiconductor field effect transistoraccording to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, a topview of the source/drain layer 140 b may have a dumbbell-shape with twoends wider than a middle connecting the two ends as shown in FIG. 3(b),but it is not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 3(a), the source/drainlayer 140 b is directly formed on the back gate insulating layer 130,and there is no other layer being formed between the source/drain layer140 b and the back gate insulating layer 130, wherein the layer may bechannel layers such as oxide semiconductor layers. Therefore, thesesimplify processes and improve the reliability and the tuningsensitivity of the back gate 122.

As shown in FIG. 4, a cap layer 152′ is selectively formed toconformally cover the source/drain layer 140 b and the back gateinsulating layer 130, and then a first insulating layer 154′ covers thesource/drain layer 140 b and the back gate insulating layer 130 (orcovers the cap layer 152′). The cap layer 152′ may be a nitride layer,and the first insulating layer 154′ may be an oxide layer, but it is notlimited thereto.

Then, the first insulating layer 154′ and the source/drain layer 140 bare patterned to form a source 142 and a drain 144, and a recess R is ina cap layer 152 and a first insulating layer 154 as shown in FIG. 5,wherein the recess R separates the source 142 from the drain 144 andexposes the back gate insulating layer 130, but it is not limitedthereto.

As shown in FIG. 6, a channel layer 162′ is formed to conformally coverthe recess R and the first insulating layer 154, and then a metal gatelayer 164′ conformally covers the channel layer 162′. The channel layer162′ must include at least an oxide semiconductor layer. In oneembodiment, the channel layer 162′ may include a plurality of oxidesemiconductor layers, and these oxide semiconductor layers may includedifferent materials or may be formed by different processes. In thisembodiment, the channel layer 162′ includes three layers with differentmaterials of oxide semiconductor layers for being carrier sources,wherein an upper oxide semiconductor layer may be formed by oxidizing alower oxide semiconductor layer below the upper oxide semiconductorlayer, but it is not limited thereto. The materials of the oxidesemiconductor layers may include indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO),indium gallium oxide (IGO), indium aluminum zinc oxide (IAlZO), indiumgallium aluminum zinc oxide (IGAlZO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), indiumtin zinc oxide (IZTO), indium tin aluminum zinc oxide (IZTAlO), indiumhafnium aluminum zinc oxide (IZHfAlO), zinc tin oxide (ZTO) or etc. Themetal gate layer 164′ may include a gate oxide layer 164 a′, a metallayer 164 b′ and a low resistivity metal 164 c′, wherein the gate oxidelayer 164 a′ may include silicon oxide; the metal layer 164 b′ may be asingle layer or a composite layer, which may include titanium nitride(TiN), titanium carbide (TiC), tantalum nitride (TaN), tantalum carbide(TaC), tungsten carbide (WC), titanium aluminide (TiAl) or aluminumtitanium nitride (TiAlN); the low resistivity metal 164 c′ may includemetals such as aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), tantalum (Ta), tungsten(W), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), niobium (Nb), but it is not limitedthereto. In this case, the gate oxide layer 164 a′ is an oxide layerwhile the metal layer 164 b′ is a nitride layer.

Thereafter, the metal gate layer 164′ and the channel layer 162′exceeding from the recess R are removed to forma U-shaped channel layer162 and a metal gate 164, and the metal gate 164 may include a gateoxide layer 164 a, a metal layer 164 b and a low resistivity metal 164c, as shown in FIG. 7. Since the source/drain layer 140 b, the cap layer152′ and the first insulating layer 154′ are formed and then patternedto form the source 142 and the drain 144, and the recess R in the caplayer 152 and the first insulating layer 154, and then the U-shapedchannel layer 162 and the metal gate 164 fill the recess R, the gateoxide layer 164 a and the metal layer 164 b of the present inventiontherefore have U-shaped cross-sectional profiles, and the U-shapedchannel layer 162 and the metal gate 164 are sandwiched by the source142 and the drain 144.

A top surface T1 of the U-shaped channel layer 162 is higher than topsurfaces T2 of the source 142 and the drain 144. A top surface T3 of themetal gate 164 is higher than the top surfaces T2 of the source 142 andthe drain 144. The top surface T1 of the U-shaped channel layer 162 anda top surface T4 of the first insulating layer 154 are coplanar. In apreferred embodiment, the back gate 122 of an oxide semiconductor fieldeffect transistor 100 is disposed right below the U-shaped channel layer162, and the whole U-shaped channel layer 162 vertically overlaps theback gate 122. In a still preferred embodiment, the back gate 122protrudes from the U-shaped channel layer 162, so that the reliabilityof the back gate 122 can be enhanced and the tuning sensitivity of theU-shaped channel layer 162 can be improved.

Since the source 142 and the drain 144 are directly on the back gateinsulating layer 130, the U-shaped channel layer 162 is sandwiched bythe source 142 and the drain 144, and there is no channel layer such asan oxide semiconductor layer between the source 142/drain 144 and theback gate insulating layer 130, the structure of the oxide semiconductorfield effect transistor 100 is simplified, the reliability of the backgate is improved and the controlling to the U-shaped channel layer 162is enhanced due to carriers being retrained in the U-shaped channellayer 162, therefore tuning the back gate can being more sensitively.Furthermore, as the gate oxide layer 164 a′ of FIG. 6 is an oxide layerand the metal layer 164 b′ is a titanium nitride layer, a compositelayer 164 ab may be formed between the gate oxide layer 164 a and themetal layer 164 b, and thus reducing the threshold voltage, as shown inFIG. 8.

Another embodiment is presented as follows, which forms a channel layerand then a first insulating layer covers the channel layer blanketly.FIGS. 9-10 schematically depicts cross-sectional views of a method offorming an oxide semiconductor field effect transistor according toanother embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 9, afterthe source/drain layer 140 a is patterned to have a pattern of an oxidesemiconductor field effect transistor and thus the source/drain layer140 b is formed as shown in FIG. 3, a cap layer (not shown) isselectively formed to conformally cover the source/drain layer 140 b andthe back gate insulating layer 130 instead, and then the cap layer andthe source/drain layer 140 b are patterned to form a cap layer 252covering a source 242 and a drain 244, and a recess R1 separating thesource 242 form the drain 244 to expose the back gate insulating layer130. The cap layer 252 may be a nitride layer, but it is not limitedthereto.

As shown in FIG. 10, a channel layer (not shown), a gate oxide layer(not shown), a metal layer (not shown) and a low resistivity metal (notshown) are sequentially formed to conformally cover the back gateinsulating layer 130, the source 242, the drain 244 and the recess R1;the low resistivity metal (not shown) and the metal layer (not shown)are patterned; a gate cap layer (not shown) conformally covers the lowresistivity metal (not shown), the metal layer (not shown), the gateoxide layer (not shown), channel layer (not shown), the source 242, thedrain 244 and the back gate insulating layer 130; and then, the gate caplayer (not shown), gate oxide layer (not shown) and the channel layer(not shown) are patterned to form a channel layer 262, a metal gate 264and a gate cap layer 270. The channel layer 262 of the present inventionmust contain at least an oxide semiconductor layer. In one case, thechannel layer 262 may include a plurality of oxide semiconductor layers,wherein the oxide semiconductor layers may have different materials andmay be formed by different processes. In this case, the channel layer262 are three layers with oxide semiconductor layers of differentmaterials to be carrier sources, wherein an upper oxide semiconductorlayer may be formed by oxidizing an lower oxide semiconductor layer, butit is not limited thereto. The materials of the oxide semiconductorlayers may include indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), indium galliumoxide (IGO), indium aluminum zinc oxide (IAlZO), indium gallium aluminumzinc oxide (IGAlZO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium tin zinc oxide(IZTO), indium tin aluminum zinc oxide (IZTAlO), indium hafnium aluminumzinc oxide (IZHfAlO), zinc tin oxide (ZTO) or etc. The metal gate 264may include a gate oxide layer 264 a, a metal layer 264 b and a lowresistivity metal 264 c, wherein the gate oxide layer 264 a may includesilicon oxide; the metal layer 264 b may be a single layer or acomposite layer, which may include titanium nitride (TiN), titaniumcarbide (TiC), tantalum nitride (TaN), tantalum carbide (TaC), tungstencarbide (WC), titanium aluminide (TiAl) or aluminum titanium nitride(TiAlN); the low resistivity metal 264 c may include aluminum (Al),titanium (Ti), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), copper (Cu), molybdenum(Mo), niobium (Nb); the gate cap layer 270 may be a nitride layer, butit is not limited thereto. Thereafter, a first insulating layer 254 isformed blanketly. The first insulating layer 254 may be an oxide layer,but it is not limited thereto. The channel layer 262 and the metal gate264 have different cross-sectional views from the previously embodiment,depending upon practical requirements.

To summarize, the present invention provides an oxide semiconductorfield effect transistor and forming method thereof, which only forms asource and a drain on a back gate insulating layer, a U-shaped channellayer including at least an oxide semiconductor layer sandwiched by thesource and the drain, and a metal gate on the U-shaped channel layer.There is no other channel layer in the oxide semiconductor field effecttransistor, thereby simplifying processes and restraining the U-shapedchannel layer being the only one carrier source, and thus improving thecontrolling of the back gate to the U-shaped channel layer. Moreprecisely, there is no channel layer such as an oxide semiconductorlayer being formed between the source/drain and the back gate insulatinglayer, and thus improving the reliability and the controlling of theback gate, and tuning the threshold voltage sensitively through the backgate.

Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerousmodifications and alterations of the device and method may be made whileretaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the abovedisclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and boundsof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An oxide semiconductor field effect transistor,comprising: a first insulating layer disposed on a substrate; a sourceand a drain disposed in the first insulating layer; only a U-shapedchannel layer sandwiched by the source and the drain without having anychannel layers under the source and the drain and not covering thesource and the drain; and a metal gate disposed on the U-shaped channellayer, wherein the U-shaped channel layer comprises a plurality of oxidesemiconductor layers.
 2. The oxide semiconductor field effect transistoraccording to claim 1, wherein the metal gate comprises a gate oxidelayer, a metal layer and a low resistivity metal.
 3. The oxidesemiconductor field effect transistor according to claim 2, furthercomprising: a composite layer located between the gate oxide layer andthe metal layer.
 4. The oxide semiconductor field effect transistoraccording to claim 2, wherein the gate oxide layer and the metal layerhave U-shaped cross-sectional profiles.
 5. The oxide semiconductor fieldeffect transistor according to claim 1, wherein a top surface of themetal gate is higher than top surfaces of the source and the drain. 6.The oxide semiconductor field effect transistor according to claim 1,wherein a top surface of the U-shaped channel layer is higher than topsurfaces of the source and the drain.
 7. The oxide semiconductor fieldeffect transistor according to claim 1, wherein the U-shaped channellayer comprises a plurality of the oxide semiconductor layers.
 8. Theoxide semiconductor field effect transistor according to claim 1,further comprising: an insulating layer disposed between the firstinsulating layer and the substrate.
 9. The oxide semiconductor fieldeffect transistor according to claim 8, further comprising: a back gateinsulating layer disposed between the first insulating layer and theinsulating layer.
 10. The oxide semiconductor field effect transistoraccording to claim 8, further comprising: a back gate disposed rightbelow the U-shaped channel layer and in the insulating layer.
 11. Theoxide semiconductor field effect transistor according to claim 10,wherein the whole U-shaped channel layer vertically overlaps the backgate.
 12. The oxide semiconductor field effect transistor according toclaim 11, wherein the back gate protrudes from the U-shaped channellayer.
 13. The oxide semiconductor field effect transistor according toclaim 1, further comprising: a cap layer conformally covering the sourceand the drain, and the first insulating layer blanketly covering the caplayer.